It will fall to somebody else in the St Johnstone team to replace Jason Kerr the captain.
But Hayden Muller is ready to show he can be the man to replace Jason Kerr the player.
The on-loan Millwall centre-back has the same attacking instincts as the recently departed skipper.
Against St Mirren, he was able to use them to good effect with Kerr at his side.
Now the task will be to do it in a new-look back-three, as the Perth side seek to put the deadline day loss of the former Scotland under-21 international and Ali McCann behind them.
“It’s a long season and now is a time for me to take my chance and show the gaffer why I need to stay in the team,” said Muller, whose incisive surge up the pitch in the last minute at Paisley earned Saints a free-kick from which Glenn Middleton struck the crossbar.
“We speak about stepping in with the ball a lot and creating overloads in midfield.
“I thought I managed to do that well in the second half against St Mirren.
“I used to be a midfielder back when I was 14 or 15, so it’s a trait I’ve naturally got.
“That is a bonus and it always helps the team out when you can create an overload in midfield. It’s something I’ll keep on doing.
“I would back myself to play centre-back, right-back or centre midfield. I’m confident.
“Hopefully I can build on my performances and help the team get the three points next time round.”
Boy to man
This time last year Saints got the benefit of a young Millwall defender transitioning from age-group to first team football before returning to south London.
Doing a Danny McNamara will be Muller’s goal.
“When I do eventually go back to Millwall, hopefully I can slot in and do my thing,” he said.
“I want to learn men’s football. It is a lot different to under-23 football.
“It’s all about the three points and not as much about developing players. You go out to win three points and that is it.
“So far it has been tough but I think I’ve picked up a lot in the three games I’ve played.”
Good move, this. Scottish Premiership and potential Europa League experience under Callum Davidson at the same club where Danny McNamara came on leaps and bounds. #Millwall https://t.co/lutugX5tMS
— Lucas Ball (@LucasBall2211) June 30, 2021
A few Saints players have been on international duty since the last league game but Muller believes the rest of the group will benefit from a match-free fortnight – and the end of the Thursday-Sunday work routine.
“Hopefully we can get to Europe again by doing well in the cups and finishing as high up the league as possible,” said the 19-year-old, who has started three of Saints’ four Premiership fixtures so far.
“We had not been used to playing two times a week – Thursday and Sunday. It was hard on the boys and a challenge.
“We really need to recover well and then go again. This break should have done us the world of good.
“We were annoyed we couldn’t head into it with a win but we’ll come back refreshed.”
